


Overwhelming

by greenbloodedcomputer



Series: B-4 [7]
Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: The Next Generation (Movies)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-01
Updated: 2020-06-01
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:27:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 494
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24496447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/greenbloodedcomputer/pseuds/greenbloodedcomputer
Summary: B-4 struggles with his emotion chip.
Series: B-4 [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1769731
Comments: 3
Kudos: 10





	Overwhelming

**Author's Note:**

  * For [datalaur](https://archiveofourown.org/users/datalaur/gifts).



> This is part of a series of fics written about B-4. These canon-divergent stories depict B-4 after he has been rebuilt by a resurrected Data following the events of Star Trek: Nemesis.
> 
> This fic was based off the prompt: Maybe a familial comfort kiss for an upset B-4 after he is sent to Bruce Maddox / Daystrom?

He had been doing so well. 

He sniffled - a programmed response as shuttered breath and tears were - and teetered slightly in his chair. Working was easy. Studying came naturally now that they had worked on his positronic matrix. He found comfort in reading Starfleet manuals, Engineering textbooks, medical journals…people were hard. Interactions were difficult. Words could be memorized. People were random. Hurtful. Confusing.   
  
“They…sent me away,” he said for the fifth time. Fingers gripped the underside of the chair seat leaving dents in the metal. Emotions were so new. So overwhelming. Over the last few weeks, confusion had given way to sadness, anger, hurt. He forgot things, remembered them in the wrong order. Suddenly felt sad, but didn’t know why. He would be perfectly content one moment, and the next it all came back.   
  
“It’s just to make sure you are running okay, B,” Agnes assured him. “You will be better off here.” She squatted on the floor beside him, hand around his shoulder to support both of them. Her expression was sympathetic, but she looked up at her partner, eyes asking for assistance without saying as much.  
  
Bruce stood a few feet away, arms crossed in front of him, watching. They had this conversation several times before. Like clockwork, B-4 seemed to remember the circumstances of his arrival every few days. Every time he made social progress. Every time his emotion chip was updated. Every time they mentioned Data.  
  
This time was worse. “I…betrayed them?” he said in stilted words. “Data…Data said…” He remembered the modifications. He remembered carrying out his orders. He remembered Data’s face when he told him he must be deactivated. Indefinitely. “Wh…where is Geordie?” He looked around vaguely as if confused as to where he was. “Picard?”   
  
Tears began streaming down his face. He bit his lower lip to try and control the emotions he had no understanding of. His head twitched. His neural processors were overloading.   
  
“B-4.” Bruce said his name softly as he moved forward to comfort him. “Remember what we said. You did nothing wrong.” He stroked B-4′s hair soothingly. “We strive to improve. Agnes and I will help you here.” He knelt on the other side of the chair and tucked a finger under B-4′s chin. The android sniffled as Bruce pressed a kiss to his cheek. "You are safe. This will pass.”  
  
B-4 squeezed his eyes shut, groaning in frustration. His head twitched to the side again. A piece of the chair gave way in his hand. Agnes jumped slightly, looking to Bruce for guidance.

Maddox sighed as he slid his hand to B-4′s back under the guise of comfort. He pressed his forehead to B-4′s shoulder and quickly flipped his activation switch. B-4 slumped over in his chair, silent and lifeless. “We’ll have to make adjustments to the chip,” he said softly as he looked at the android in the chair. “I’m sorry, B.” 


End file.
